Be Happy

I have to admit I am feeling the blues . . . The flu hit me again this weekend. (I had it last weekend) It brings to mind a very discouraging time two years ago when for six weekends (almost in a row) I'd get sick. I HATE having the flu when I am so far along in my pregnancy!

Last evening Loraine came up to where Iwas sitting, some tears had escaped down my cheeks. She said, "Mama, happy." Often I tell her that she needs to "be happy". I guess she thought I needed the same words

"Be Thou my strong habitation,
whereunto I may continually resort :
Thou hast given commandment to save me;

for Thou art my Rock and my Fortress. Psalm 71:3

Sweethearts Forever!

This was a big bright spot in the weekend!

The youth went to a lot of work for us. One of the best things was babysitting being provided. I've never seen the church so romantic! We had fun choosing a table.

I shared a rhama with Japheth that evening about our upcoming birth.

Daddy and Mother were the first to walk into the banquet hall.





Enjoying being with my hubby again after two and a half long weeks!









"Let thy fountain be blessed:
and rejoice with the (husband) of thy youth.
. . . and be thou always ravished with (his) love. Proverbs 5:18,19

This Weekend

II Corinthians 12:15a “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you;”

Thursday evening I couldn’t sleep, of course ,with Japheth and Wayne and the Hesses arriving sometime during the night.  They pulled in at 1:30 AM.  We then all stayed up and talked till about 3:00.  It being the “middle of the day” for them.  Finally we retired . . . then Wayne decided that that was all the “nap” he wanted and so I was up with him again at 4:30 for over an hour.  Somehow when your pregnant you need more sleep than ever.  The next day was a drag on my body, but I was so FULL OF JOY to have my loved ones back that I didn’t care!

Friday night again I got to have “second hand jet lag” with Wayne.  He came back a changed boy . . . Loves to cuddle so much more than before and will fall asleep in your arms so easy.  I had trained all our children to go to sleep in their crib, but at times wished it wasn’t so.  It is truly a joy to rock your child to sleep, but with my energy level I felt I had to rest when they did otherwise I didn’t get enough rest.  I didn’t want to have a child that HAD to be rocked every single time they needed sleep . . .  I didn’t think I could handle that, thus they ended up thinking that they HAD to be lying down in their bed to go to sleep.  So I am actually relishing this special time with Wayne especially since he’s been gone for so long . . . but he’s definitely become a Papa’s boy now, having spent so much time with him while surrounded with the unfamiliar.

Saturday evening I got out the calendar and figured out exactly how many weeks to go I had yet.  Is five weeks too early to have a baby at home? . . .  I was having contractions pretty consistently although not hard ones.  I did not feel prepared at all . . .   we had a house full of overnight company just getting to sleep for the night, a messy house, no newborn pampers on hand yet, ect.  Wednesday evening at prayer meeting I’d asked prayer that I would be ready for this birth . . . I didn’t feel ready at all . . . but if God thought I was then I that was ok.  Finally at 1:00 we decided that this was not the night and went to bed.  And once again Wayne and I had “special” time then later on.  Somehow I managed to have the strength to go to church . .  then we had company for lunch and I missed my much needed nap, but it was worth it.  God grace was there for me!!!

Ok, so Sunday evening rolls around and out come the buckets . . . bedding is being washed and buckets are still in use.  It is 2:30 and I give up of getting any sleep . . .  up and down and up and down so let’s just make the best of it and stay up!  I am very grateful that we have hardly had the flu at all this winter . . . in fact is this the first?  God has blessed us abundantly in this way this year.

Being a Mom you get many opportunities to serve your family . . .

At times like these I look back and praise the Lord for the loving, caring Mom that I had.  Then I took it for granted, Mom was just always there, she cleaned up the messes we made . . .  Now I realize how much she did for us all!!! She gladly was spent for us because she loved us . . .  Love makes all the difference in the world!!!

“I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever: with my mouth will I make known Thy faithfulness to all generations.”  Psalm 89:1

Celebrating!!

It is almost 11:00 and Laura and I are partying with cappuccino and chips. We are celebrating the return of our families! Everyone else is fast asleep.

Japheth called twice and they are on the road now. SOOOO glad to have them safe in the US at last.

We also had a party at supper with party hats and little pizza's . . . . for the one's who would be asleep whent the real fun begins!

Praise God, Hallelujah!! We will see them soon! Thank-YOU, Lord!!!

"He maketh the storm a calm so that the waves thereof are still.
Then are they glad because they be quiet,
so He bringeth them unto their desired haven.
Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness
and for His wonderful works to the children of men. Psalm 107:29-31

Deep Longing Love

Valentines Day -  a special day to revel in God’s love for me

“And thou shalt be called by a new name,
which the mouth of the Lord shall name” Isaiah 62:2b

Thou shalt no more be termed, Forsaken;
neither shall thy land an more be termed, Desolate:
but thou shalt be called, Hephzibah and thy land Beulah:
For the Lord thy God delighteth in thee.”  Isaiah 62:4a

Reading these verses brought back to mind the words of a song I learned at the Ladies Retreat one year. It says it this way:

I will change your name!
You shall no longer be called,
Wounded, Outcast, Lonely or Afraid

I will change your name!
Your new name shall be,
Confidence, Joyfulness, Overcoming One
Faithfulness, Friend of God, One Who Seeks Your Face!

Oh the vastness of what God can do for me . . . Will I let Him? . .  . Will I respond to His deep, deep longing love for me?!!!

Update on my loved ones far away . . .  Last night they flew back to Bankock.  Tonight they will see the doctor one last time (hopefully . . . unless they need to readjust something) and the next day they come flying home!! Praise God!!! . . . Thursday night or rather early Friday morning if they are awake enough to drive they are to arrive.   God has been with us each step of the way!

“Day by day and with each passing moment, strength I find to meet life’s trials here, trusting . . .”    His grace has been sufficient!!!!  

Climbing

I’m in the middle of reading the book, “Climbing” by Rosilind Goforth. I recommend it to any Mom. It has been such an encouragement for me!!! Today once again I was impressed by the poem at the beginning of the book even more so than when I read it at first.

CALL BACK!

If you have gone a little way ahead of me, call back –
“Twill cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track;
And if perchance, Faith’s light is dim, because the oil is low,
Your call will guide my lagging course as wearily I go.

Call back and tell me that He went with you into the storm;
Call back and say He kept you when the forest’s roots were torn;
That when the heavens thundered and the earthquake shook the hill,
He bore you up and held you where the air was still.

O friend, call back and tell me, for I cannot see your face;
They say in it glows with triumph, and your feet bound in the race;
But there are mists between us and my spirit eyes are dim,
And I cannot see the glory, though I long for word of Him.

But if you’ll say He heard you when your prayer was but a cry,
And if you’ll say He saw you through the night’s sin-darkened sky –
If you have gone a little way ahead, O friend, call back –
“Twill cheer my heart and help my feet along the stony track. – Selected

This goes along with the Scripture that so boldly stood out to me yesterday that I even made it into a little song that’s just between me and the Lord right now. (Most of my singing is that way, I play guitar only good enough for the children to hear and also for the Lord and I. I’m not sure I’ll ever get beyond that . . . But when I started learning (and I feel I’m still in kindergarden) I desired to at least play songs for my children and myself. I have sung at the nursing home . . . I figure the old folks won’t mind if it’s not perfect, but I do feel embarrassed to have the nurses listen too long. And someday my children will probably be embarrassed of me . . . but until then I will sing to them. ;)
Isaiah 50:4 goes like this:

“The Lord God has given me
the tongue of the learned,
That I should know how to speak
A word in season to him who is weary
He awakens me morning by morning,
He awakens my ear.”

I just know what a few words, from an older more experienced Mom that I look up to, did to this heart of mine! It happened last week and oh, the encouragement and boost that it gave my soul!!!

Probably what thrills my soul more than anything about Rosalind’s story is that her life has difficulties, her life is not picture perfect, she has to rely on God, she has several small children, and she is a real person who tells her story of how God was there for her! I think in heaven that will be a big part . . . each of us proclaiming aloud of how God was with us, there for us and what He did and has done for us.

That is why communions is one of my favorite services here at Kitchi, we all are given time to share what God is doing in our lives. Some are in triumphant victory, others are struggling, others have failed . . . but we get to hear and share with one another on a deep level that we don’t always take the time to or open up on a Sunday morning or a Wednesday evening. And we get to hear from everyone . . .it does get late, but it’s well worth the time!

Anyway, changing the subject, I am anxiously awaiting word from Japheth . . . They are supposedly in Chaing Mae sleeping right now. Several different things increasing my stress level have made me become impatient to hear his reassuring voice. Maybe this is just God’s way of making me more dependant on the “Rock that is higher than I” . . . So I cry out to Him . . . Japheth Jr. heard me crying this afternoon and came downstairs saying, “Mama, we’ll pray for you.” How sweet and precious little ones are!

"Surely the Lord God will help me, . . . Let him (me) trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his (my) God." Isaiah 50:9

No Matter What!

Praise be to God!!!!!!!!!!

When Japheth called with this news a measure of relief flooded through me.

Surgery went fine . . . Wayne has to wear a patch over the eye for a while (not sure how long) but he keeps wanting to pick it off. His one hand is still taped down with IV’s . . . Japheth will be busy keeping both of his little hands off the bandage once that hand is released.

They are staying overnight at the hospital there . . . their room even has a balcony! The nursed brought a crib in for Wayne so Japheth is using the hospital bed. ;) He had the back propped up and was holding Wayne when he called. Wayne had just downed his second full bottle! Japheth hadn’t eaten anything either . . . so there were two hungry guys after everything was done!

Judi’s surgery went well also. They had to do two muscles in her eye, one for moving up and down and one for moving sideways. She was still recovering from being put out. I can’t wait to see the “new” looks on both of them!

I was reading Psalm 30 this morning . .
.”O Lord my God, I cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed me.”

I praise the Lord for that healing . . . but even if things wouldn’t have or will not go as we desire them to, I will still bless the Lord . . . He doeth all things well. He giveth and He taketh away; blessed be his name. He is God. He is allowed the privilege to do as He will and I will always praise Him. He is My Creator, My Shepherd, My King, The Lover of my Soul, My Rock . . . God is good no matter what! He loves me no matter what, and I love and trust Him no matter what!

Thanks for praying with us!

Friday Bills and Japheth fly up to Chaing Mai to visit Deanial Yoder (Val’s oldest son) and Lee Hess (Bill’s oldest son) who have just gotten back from an adventuresome trip to Packistan, while they wait for the eyes to heal. Then they will come back to Bangkok and see the doctor again and make sure they don’t need an adjustment.

We’re getting anxious to see and feel them again. I miss the baby I used to have in my arms. I miss Japheth’s arms around me . . .

. . . But in God’s hands they are in good hands.